Nuno Espirito Santo’s early calls at West Ham United have raised eyebrows — but one of the biggest changes under his tenure wasn’t actually his doing. The decision to replace summer signing Mads Hermansen with Alphonse Areola reportedly originated from former boss Graham Potter.
Before his dismissal in late September, Potter made the surprise move to drop Hermansen — an £18 million arrival — after just four Premier League appearances, during which the Danish goalkeeper conceded 11 goals. It was a last-ditch effort to turn West Ham’s poor form around, one that highlighted the former Chelsea manager’s concern over his defensive setup.
“I think it’s always a difficult decision at this level,” Potter said hours before his sacking on September 27. “You can imagine we have many top players with great attributes. I was happy with Alphonse when he came into the team — he had a good game, and I’m pleased with the competition.”
That change, however, has since proven significant. While West Ham have had their share of struggles this season, the situation between the sticks at Nottingham Forest suggests they may have avoided a costly mistake in the summer transfer market.
John Victor’s slow start at Nottingham Forest
Brazilian goalkeeper John Victor, who was heavily linked with West Ham before joining Forest for around £10 million, has barely featured since arriving at the City Ground. The 26-year-old has played just once — a 3–2 Carabao Cup defeat to Swansea City, which the Nottingham Post described as “not the debut he would have wanted.”
That match remains his only appearance for the club, as Matz Sels, last season’s Premier League Golden Glove co-winner alongside Arsenal’s David Raya, continues to hold his place. Even under-pressure boss Ange Postecoglou has stuck with the Belgian for both of Forest’s Europa League fixtures, leaving John firmly on the sidelines.
At this rate, his next chance might not come until the FA Cup third round in January — a long wait for a player who was touted as one of South America’s most promising goalkeepers.
The transfer that nearly was
John’s move to Forest came only after two failed transfer attempts involving West Ham earlier in the summer. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Hammers had a verbal agreement with Botafogo in early August but pivoted to sign Hermansen instead. When that move quickly soured, West Ham tried again with a loan-to-buy offer, but Botafogo by then preferred a permanent deal — leading John to join Forest instead.
Publicly, John insisted his initial decision to stay in Brazil was about loyalty, saying:
“I did receive an offer from West Ham, but after talking with my family, I chose to continue living Botafogo. I never said I wanted to leave.”
Yet, less than a month later, he signed for Nottingham Forest.
A twist of fate
For now, it’s hard to argue that John’s gamble has paid off. While Hermansen endured a rough start in London, he remains in the picture at West Ham, and Areola’s resurgence has stabilized their defence. Meanwhile, John finds himself watching from the bench at Forest, wondering if he might have been better off waiting for the right moment in East London.
In the end, the goalkeeper who turned down West Ham to “stay loyal” to Botafogo — only to move weeks later — may be reflecting on a whirlwind summer that hasn’t gone quite as planned.